Trailer vehicle



F. M. REID TRAILER VEHlCLE Filed NOV. l, 1937 May 3,' 193s.

Y is UNITED STATE-s -PATENT OFFICE aliens Prm u. we, nen-nit, men.. mimi Trailer Company. Detroit. Mich., a o! Michigan A @non Neuster-Liest. swarm-.imode .annunciano-aai) tions.

Objects of the"present.invention yare to provide a tractor andlsem'i-trailer combinationin which an intermediate semi-trailer may be readily in- 10 terposed between a tractor and rear semi-trailer so that excessive loads may bev carried; to provide a tractorvand semi-trailer combination in which the length of the assembly may be varied to suit various operating conditions; to provide a rear l5 semi-trailer of such a construction that it may,-

be readily attached to either a tractor or to an intermediate semi-trailer; to provide an inter.-f mediate semi-trailer of such a construction that it may be readily attached to a tractor and to a i rear semi-trailer for carrying excessive loads; to Yprovide an improved tractor and .semi-trailer combination having an intermediate semi-trailer in which the distance between the rear ground wheels of the tractor -and the groundwheels of 5 the intermediate semi-trailer is not excessive and can, therefore, more properly sustain a given load.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following specincation, 'the drawing relating thereto and, from the claims o hereinafter set forth.

In the dr used 'to' designate like parts in the several views throughout: v

, f Figure 1 is a side elevationalview of aftractor '35 having a rear semi-trailerpivotslly connected thereto andA carrying 'an intermediate' semitrauen' L Fig, `2 is a side elevational view 'of the structure illustrated 'in' Fig. '1 in which the intermediate 40 and the rearsemi-trailer according to. the present invention; and.

Fig. 3 isA a'r fragmentary top plan view. taken substantially along theluine l-l of Fig'. 2.y

I Present trsnsportatioh'regulatlonsreguire that A when the combinedlength of the tractor` and semi-trailer assembly exceeds av certainr amount,

l a, special permit must be iirst obtained'before the assembly of the excessive Alength is permitted on the highways. The usual load'may be carried by assembliesll oi lengths which come within thel length not requiring a perniit;'v but `forf jexces-' I sive loads it is 'necessary yto use'adirectoir;` and f semi-trailerfassembly whichexceeds the per- 55` initted lassembly lengths.,v yAccording toJthe'pi-eswing, in which like numerals are cured to the under-surface 2l of the rear semisemi-trailer. is interposed-between the tractor ent invention. a rear semi-trailer isl )provided which may be attached to a tractor for carryins the usual loads, and which is adapted f'orconnection to an intermediate' semi-trailer which may be interposed between the rear semi-trailer and the tractor for carrying excessivel loads.-

The structure of the present'invention'thusai'- fords an assembly which mayffbeused' without obtaining the'vabove mentioned permit .for the usual loads, but which may be readily converted into an assembly of greater length when 'carrying excessive loads. 4

Referring to the drawing, a usual automotive tractor ill, having a rearwardly extending` frame i2 with ground wheels Il connected thereto ad'- A. rear semi-trailer I6 has a substantially `horiy zontal load carrying frame portion Il' VVwith ground wheels 2l connected thereto adjacent the rear end in the iual way. An upwardly and 2b 2B at different levels.

The rear semi-trailer I8 is'connectedto'the 2 .tractor Ii, as illustrated in Fig. l, byte. pivotal connection such as a mth wheel structure.`` The fifth wheel structure is preferably 'that disclosed' in detail inthe patent to Frederick MlBe'id, No.

1,925.279,` issued September 5, 1933; and includes a downwardly directed Iking-pin member 2l sejacent the rear end in the usual way,'is provided. v

trailer. The king-pin Il is adapted -to engage .brackets I2. When the semi-trailei-il is con-'fi ,nected directly tothe tractor il lby thanking"- sembly is then'adapted-to theA usualy load.

For carrying-.excessive loadsanv intermediate semi-trailer uierovised which nel: a rearsubstantially horizontal frame portion 36l to which ground wheels Il are `connected in the usual way. A

The intermediate semi-trailer u has an upwardsubstantia1ly` horizontal 'undersuri'ace 32 and 'a substantiallyhorizontal upperV surface M spaced ',alpr'edetermined'distance from theunder-suriace. 'f The intermediate semi-trailer 34 is adapted to tractor il' ,by iifth wheel mechanism similar to .that described in the Reid patentreferred to. Thev 'positioned` between the rear semi-trailer If and-fthef;tractor Il; :and is connected tothe mth wheel lconnection includes a downwardly .directedking-pin member 4I fixed to the undersurface 42which -is adapted to co-operate with the lower ilfthfwheel member 30 to pivotally attach the semi-trailer I4 to the tractor. The under-surface 42 and the king-pin 48 are both at substantially the same level as the undersurface 24 and the king-pin 28, respectively, on

--trailen The king-pin 50 is adapted to co-operate with a lower fth wheel means 52, which is similar to the member 30. The lower fth wheel member I2 is Yadapted to be suitably pivotally mounted to' the .intermediate trailer 34 on the uwerl surface 44. l

l'Ihe king-pins 28 and -46 are at substantially the same level; Land the distance between the .surface 24 and surface. 26 is substantially the same as the distance between the surface 42 and load carried bythe 'semi-trailers is properly supf 45 Formal changes may be made in the `sp'ecliic the surface 44, so that the semi-trailers may be assembled in either ythe arrangement illustrated in Hgfl or that illustratedin Fig. 2. By the arrangement described vabove the distance between the groundwheels I4 and 3s, when the semitrallers are assembled in the manner illustrated in Pig. 2, -is not excessive so that the excessive Ported.

Asillustrated in Fig. l the intermediate semitrailer 84 maybe carried by the rear semi-trailer Itwhen the assembly is travelling to pick up a load. A suitable strut is provided which is plvotally mounted to the frame of the semi-'trailer 84 i' supporting the forward vportion of the trailer in its upward position.

embodiment ofthe invention described without departingkfrcm thespirit and substance of the invention, tbe scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 4

l. A 'vehicle `trailer structure comprising, in combination.- it tractor. a rear semi-trailer, and an intermediate semi-trailerinterposed between said rear vsemi-trailer and said tractor, said rear semi-trailer having a first `connecting' member and a' second` connecting member thereon Iat'different levels, 'saidA tractor having a co-operating connecting member thereon at` the level of said rst member. and .said intermediate semi-trailer a co-operating connecting member 4thereonat thelevelvof the first connectlng `having another co-operating' connecting thereon at` lthe level off-the second connecting member, said' connecting mem- 1 providing pivotal connections 'between-said *intermediate ysemi-trailer' vand said z. A nml-traue; comprising a aai,- wund vwheels connected to said rear portion, anupwardly and forwardly offset portion connected to said horizontal portion adjacent the'fro'nt thereof, and a -pair of pivotal connecting means on said last horizontal under-surfaces thereon at different f levels, and a pivotal connecting means located on each of said horizontal under-surfaces.

4. A semi-trailer structure comprising a substantially horizontal rear portion, ground wheels connected to said rear portion, an upwardly and forwardly offset portion connected to said horizontalI portion adjacent the front thereof, the under-surface of said lastnamed portion. being stepped to provide a plurality of substantially horizontal `runder-surfaces thereon at different levels, and a downwardly directed king-pin located on each of said horizontal under-surfaces.

5. A semi-trailer structure comprising a substantially horizontal rear portion, ground wheels connected to said rear portion, an. upwardly and forwardly offset portion connected to `said horizontal portion adjacent the front thereof, said offset portion being formed with a substantially horizontal under-surface and' a substantially horizontal top surface spaced therefrom a predejtermined distance, a pivotal connecting means 'located on said horlzontalfunder-surface, and a -pivotal'connecting meas located on said hori- 6. A vehicle trailer structure comprising, in combination, a tractor, a rear `semi-trailer, and an intermediate semi-trailer interposed between said rear semi-trailer and said tractor; said rear semi-trailer having a substantially horizontal rear portion, ground'wheels connected to said rear portion, an upwardly and forwardly offset portion connected to said horizontal portion ad- Jacent the front thereof, the under-surface of said last named portion being stepped to provide a plurality of substantially horizontal under-surfaces thereon at different levels, a first king-pin located on one of said horizontal under-surfaces, and a second king-pin located on the other horizontal under-surface; said tractor having a cooperating connecting member thereon at the level of said first king-pin; and said intermediate trailer having ay substantially horizontal rear portion, ground wheels connected to said rear tancebetweentheunder-surfaces 4on saidrearv semi-trailer, a. pivotal .connecting means located on said last-named horizontal under-surface,` and apivotal -connectlng means located zontal top surface. l

on said hori- 

